Cotton-gin



(No Model.)

J. D. MILBURN. I VGOTTON GIN.

No. 276.447. Patented Apr.24, 1883.

" JoknflJlillurzu N. PETERS. Phalvllflwrapher. Washin ton. 11c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC JOHN D. MILBURN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

cotton-cm.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,447, dated April 24, 1883,

' Application filed February 1, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN D. MILBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented-new and useful Improve ments in'Ootton-Gins, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to that class of cotton-gins which are provided with several rollers at the bottom of the feed-hopper or cotton-box for etiecting the separation of the bulls, trash, bolls, and other foreign matters from-the seed-cotton in the feed-box, and discharging such materials from the box.' Rollers thus arranged have been made with roughened surfaces by corrugating, ribbing, or indenting the rollers; but it is found that they do not give complete satisfaction, because they do not possess sufficient adhesive properties to quick- 15 and effectually carry back into the hopper seed-cotton during the discharge of the hulls, thereby causing much waste of seed-cotton. In theinvention now presented I make use of a covering for such discharge or delivery rollers which possesses the property of causing the cotton to adhere to the same, and permits the bulls or other woody substances to slide over the rollers to be discharged from the hopper.

, The covering employed by me should possess a sufficient degree of roughness to permit a smooth-surfaced roller covered with the same to seize or hold the cotton and cause the hulls and other woody matters or trash to be discharged from the hopper with celerity and ease. I propose to employ cotton cloth, or mosquito-bar cloth, or emery or sand, these latter substances being either applied to a backing'of cloth or paper or spread directly on the surface of a smooth roller coated with a suitable gummy substance, cement, or other material for causing the emery or sand to adhere to the roller.

Another feature of the invention consists in a novel seed-board for separating the cottonhopper into theouter and inner roll-boxes common to an under'feed cotton-gin, said seed-board being hung on pivots or trunnions, at or near its top, from the end heads of the hopper, so that its lower portion can be adjusted to and from the saw and the ribs and held in' its adjusted position, as may be required in cleaning the seed from the cotton and shedding the same from the roll.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of part of a cotton-gin having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pivoted feed-hoard. Fig. 3 is'a detail sectional view, showing the manner of pivoting the seed-board. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a delivery-roller for bulls and trash, having a cloth covering.- Fig.5 is a similar view, showing a roller covered with a rough material, such as emery.

The letter A designates the feed-hopper or cotton-box, which has the customary metallic side heads, a, and outer breast-board, E, and is located outside of or beyond the ribs 0 and saws D, as is shown in Fig 1. A partition or so-called seed-board, E, is arranged. inside the hopper for separating the same into the outer and inner roll-boxes. This seed-board, instead of being made adjustable at top and bottom by means of bolts set in slots in the iron heads of the cotton-box and attached to said seed-board, is provided at or near the top of its end faces or edges with projecting bolts, journals, or trunnions F, which pass through the end heads of the cotton-box, and are so fitted that the seed-board is capable of being swung with or upon such'bolts orjournals, so as to cause the lower end of the seed-board to be adjusted in a direction toward the ribs and saws or toward the breast-board, as may be required in ginning various kinds or grades of cotton for cleaning the seed and shedding the cotton-seed from the roll. The seed-board may be pivoted to the end heads in various ways--as, for example, the edges of the board may bear metallic plates or nuts, into which screw the bolts F, that pass through the end heads and constitute pivots turning in said heads; or the board may have sockets or bearings which receive stationary pivots or bolts fitted into end heads of the cotton-box, but in whatever way the seed-board is suspended the journals or pivots will be of such construction that after the seed-board has been adjusted to the desired position it will beheld stationary. As shown, this is eflected by screwing up the bolts F. The adjustment of the seed-board toward the saws necessarily the adjustment of the seed-board toward the breast-board relieves the pressure on the roll, and consequently the density thereof. A roller, G, having spikes, corrugations, or fingers, is located in juxtaposition to the lower portion of the ribs of the gin, and serves as a feed-roller. Beyond this roller, orin the space between it and the breast-board B, are located one or more rollers, I, for delivering or discharging the trash, seed, and hulls from the hopper. I have illustrated three rollers in the present instance; but I may use only one or more than two spiked rollers, according to the requirements of the case. The outer roller, or the one adjoining the breast-board, is in reality the discharge-roller, because the hulls, trash, &c., are conducted over the same, and permitted to pass out through a space, J, left between it and the breast-board. The latter is held away from the outer roller I by means of an eccentric, K, which is mounted on a shaft carrying a hand-wheel, as in cotton-gins heretofore known. The roller I is made with a smooth periphery, and is covered with a sheet of cotton cloth, mosquito-bar cloth, netting, or any reticulated or mesh y fabric which possesses the property of causing the cotton fibers to adhere to the same, and will permit the hulls (which are of a woody nature) to glide over the same. This form of roller is shown in Fig. 4. Instead of a fabric covering, I may cover the roller with a sheet of emery or sand cloth or paper, as is shown in Fig. 5; or the emery or other analogous material may be applied directly to an adhesive coating on the roller, so as to constitute a rough facing for the latter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1 1. In a cotton-gin, the combination, with the saws, the ribs, the feed-hopper, and the breastboard, of a revolving roller covered with a material or substance having the properties of retaining the cotton fibers anddischargiug the hulls and other woody substances, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the hopper, the saws, the gin-ribs, and rollers in the bottom of the hopper, of a seed-board arranged above the rollers to divide the hopper into frontand rear roll-boxes, and journals or pivots supported by the ends of the hopper and connect-. ed with the upper portion of the ends of the seed-board, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof Ihavehereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN D. MILBURN.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. Noaars, J. A. RUTHERFORD. 

